Rough-stuff ride to Drygarn Fawr - Day One
26.8.07
Two years ago we endured
a rain soaked nightmare ride to Drygarn Fawr, at 645 metres, it is the highest
and remotest mountain in the Cambrian mountain range, that cuts across the
length of Wales. After viewing its ancient cairn, a few weeks ago, from the
top of the Irfon valley, it was time now for the Bike-Brothers to cycle this
mythic peak in all its Summer glory! We set off from Beulah along the road
to Abergwesyn which was closed due to a bridge being renewed, no road is closed
to the Bike Brothers though!, so we had a traffic free cycle up this beautiful
valley to the tiny village of Abergwesyn. It was now time to cycle up the
Irfon valley, the gateway to remote Wales. A holiday weekend meant there were
a few cars about, but after climbing up the valley, we turned off up the forest
track that would take us up to 400 metres and out on to the open mountain.
The barren desolate landscape was in front of us. Two miles away we could
see the peak of Drygarn and its cairn. This southern route to the top of the
mountain is not the usual route, there is a path marked on the map, but this
is totally indiscernible. We followed a sheep track for a while, then this
fizzled out, the only route was to take a direct line through the treacherous
bog that surrounds this peak. On our last trip up here the rain lashed down
on us, this time the sun blazed down, making this climb unbearably hot. Our
usual rough-stuff method had to be employed, this terrain would be difficult
walking but with a bike it was, to say the least, difficult. All the while
the peak just sat there looking down on us! Several times our legs disappeared
into the wet bog, but after a couple of hours of trudging we were out on the
rocky last climb to the top of the Drygarn. In the late afternoon Sun this
peak is everything you can imagine, Ancient, Mythical, Magical. We have seen
views before but this is the best, without a doubt ever! Cader Idris in the
north and the Brecon Beacons to the south, could all be seen in the crystal
clear sunlight. There are two massive stone cairns here, one on the top, the
other just below on the ridge. Apparently they were built here in 1800 BC,
why?,no one knows why but their 200 tonnes of rock make them a very prominent
and eerie sight! We made our way down to the lower cairn to find a camping
spot and tucked ourselves out of the wind which had now picked up. It was
time for one of our famous feasts and this one was no exception! As the Sun
went down that night the cairns cast long shadows. This must have meant something
to the people of 4000 years ago but we can only guess what it was. The near
full Moon then bathed in its full glory casting more strange shadows in the
night. Camping on this exposed mountain meant one thing in the night and that
is cold! I went shivering to my tent to soon warm up in my Rab sleeping bag!
Day 1 ~ Day
2
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Day 1 ~ Day 2